Minaeu Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 My most recent needful thing to complete my dollhouse obsession is to acquire a doll to inhabit my house, which is almost completed. After looking at extremely pricey, (for me), dolls on e-bay and Etsy I am toying with the idea of making one. I am posting to inquire if anyone can point me in the direction of a website with tutorials or maybe a book that could get me started. Thanks so much, Gladys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraftyMtnMom Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Have you tried pinterest? Or tried searching on line for mini doll making? Or even You-Tube? I know Pinterest has many links for tutorials of many things and I believe I saw one on making a mini doll. Good luck. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Gladys, I got started making dollhouse dolls with polymer clay bodies, jointed with pipe stems and wigged with viscose, using three books. https://books.google.com/books/about/Making_and_Dressing_Doll_House_Dolls.html?id=KezqCMjrwAUC 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLI Designs Posted August 8, 2016 Share Posted August 8, 2016 I was going to try my hand at it. I experimented painting old Barbie doll heads but realized it's a little more involved than I thought. I ended up buying the Azone Pico Neemo doll but all the while saving my pennies for a custom ball jointed 1:12 doll. I just don't think I have he expertise to make nice realistic dolls. Excited to see and hear of your process making one. Are you going to do a ball jointed or wire body? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shamrockgirl18 Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 Hi Gladys, I can relate. I do not have the expertise to make dolls- I would love to take a class someday to get the basics, but I doubt I have the ability to paint them to look nice and realistic. Finding quality mini dolls can be a real challenge, especially if you already have an idea of what you want them to look like. One time I bought the components for a doll and then I asked on this forum if anyone was willing to help me out making it- minikelli was nice enough to have me mail her ther parts and she put him together for me. I paid her via PayPal for her work, but I got the doll I was hoping for and it was constructed lovingly by someone who knows how important these kinds of things are. Just another option for you to consider! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPete Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 Here are a couple to get you started. Patricia Rose sometimes has a doll sculpture tutorial that you can follow along with while she sculps. Also use to have tutorials for making the wire armatures and sells molds if you are not sure you want to try freehand. Good luck. http://www.ooakdollart.com http://patriciarosestudio.blogspot.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 Our member Jodi Creager also has videos to show how to sculpt parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wormwoodz Posted August 14, 2016 Share Posted August 14, 2016 Indeed dollhouse dolls seam to be one of the most expensive accessories, I don't think I have the courage to make that investment yet :S I applaud your idea of making your own, it doesn't look easy but will be worth the effort if you end up with a custom personal piece for your collection. Here are some suggestions to consider: Are you planning on sculpting all the parts yourself? - I've seen work done with many diferent materials, resin, porcelain, clay... would probably be easy to find info and advice for those on a doll forum as suggested above. Some dollmakers sell their doll parts already cast, or their design molds ready for casting. I have no idea if this is a "cheaper" option than trying to make doll molds from scratch (assuming material costs from trial and error). I can suggest checking out some of my favorite dollmakers' work, Mary Williams, Doreen Sinnett and Gina Bellous. Will it be poseable/articulated? - There are at least two popular options to achieve this: ball jointed or soft body (wired). The first is a bit complicated and requires some knowledge on doll joints. It is possible to buy bjd doll unpainted kits, but they tend to be a lot more expensive than soft body kits. Shapeways has some 3D printed bjd kits in plastic, such as Alexander Grynajer's creations. This was the cheapest option I could find for kits in dollhouse scale, there are higher quality bjd kits but most are really expensive collector pieces (Eve Studio Dolls is a personal favorite). Heidi Ott bjds are also very popular, you can find them assembled, painted and wigged for around 40-50 USD or less. The pros is that you only have to worry about dressing them, the cons I suppose would be less room for customization. The second alternative, soft body dolls, are easier to make and look fastastic when dressed. They are less poseable but it's a classic in dollhouses. Usually these dolls are made of a soft body core made of fabric (wired and filled with a soft material), connected to a torso, hands and feet. The torso and head can be either a single sculpted piece or 2 parts connected, but should go at least a bit bellow the neck and mid of the chest/torax region for adult dolls, the hands and feet can be cut by the elbow and knee. This is probably the easiest option to get started on dollmaking. Or you can make solid non-flexible sculptures, while not technically dolls they still look fantastic in both diorama and dollhouse settings. The hair: Popular options are synthetic fibers, wool or tibetan lamb fur. You can assemble the hair directly into the dollhead (here's a tutorial) or make a wig cap from the head mold. Both can be syled and changed at any time, but removable wigs won't destroy the hairpiece if you decide to change it (you can also use wigs to change between diferent hairstyles and hats!). One easy way to make a wig cap is to cover you doll with a cellophane sheet and wrap it tightly around the head with an elastic band. Add a thick layer of fabric glue to the hair area and then start assembling the hair, after it's completly dry cut the elastic and trim the sheet and you'll have a perfectly fitted wig. If necesary, you can use removable adhesives to secure the wig to the doll. Here's a video explaining this method. Clothes: You can create patterns for any design of clothes using real size outfits as reference. There are stores specializing in miniature doll supplies where you can find scaled fabrics, lace, ribbons, buttons and etc. I would recomend checking Minidolls, they have a large selection of materials for all your dollhouse tailoring needs as well as other useful information and links. I find dollmaking fascinating but never tried sculpting the components myself, whatever method you choose wish you good luck and lots of fun! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted August 14, 2016 Share Posted August 14, 2016 We are fortunate to have several real doll artisans as members here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minaeu Posted August 27, 2016 Author Share Posted August 27, 2016 Well, after much research I decided to not make my own doll. My lovely daughter bought me a Heidi Ott doll that I had put on my wish list. I was so surprised to see the actual size, so small, compared to what was in my head. Probably a good thing I did not try to make one as I think it would have been huge compared to this one! I do love her but will be making her some clothes as she came in black lingerie! Thank you all for the info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paloma416 Posted May 27, 2017 Share Posted May 27, 2017 Hi, this is really a good idea but here in Australia and trying to get educate myself in making dolls and dollhouses. I have just find some great dollhouses http://www.clicknbuyaustralia.com/brand/kidkraft/ and is it possible that I can make same myself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elsbeth Posted May 28, 2017 Share Posted May 28, 2017 On 8/27/2016, 10:01:04, Minaeu said: Well, after much research I decided to not make my own doll. My lovely daughter bought me a Heidi Ott doll that I had put on my wish list. I was so surprised to see the actual size, so small, compared to what was in my head. Probably a good thing I did not try to make one as I think it would have been huge compared to this one! I do love her but will be making her some clothes as she came in black lingerie! Thank you all for the info. The Heidi ott dolls are lovely. They are so well jointed - I can see why they cost so much (they are worth it!). I have a dressed one - even her ankles are jointed, and she had tiny shoes and a petticoats and lacy underthings. The details were fantastic. And her head can tilt. I just love these dolls - so I am glad you finally got to experience one. There are two types of bodies - a bulkier earlier body (often seen on the maids now) and the newer slimmer body. Really amazing little ball jointed 1:12 dolls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shamrockgirl18 Posted May 28, 2017 Share Posted May 28, 2017 I've been searching like mad for a grandfather/old man doll that I like. I recently got Jud's Junk Shop set up again, but I don't have a Jud! His name is a reference to Pet Semetary, and the character that Fred Gwynne plays. You know, a real old-timer Mainer, with the thickest accent you've ever heard, who still drinks Moxie and practically lives on his porch, waiting for a confused tourist to stop and ask for directions so he can say: "Can't get there from here." It seems the grandpa dolls in my price range don't have any character in their faces, and their hair is always very unnatural looking, and they're dressed in the most bizarre fashions. . . Anyways, I might have to try and find a kit and the find someone to help put him together and dress him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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